Monthly Reads | Millennials And Money

This month’s round-up is just for you, millennials. Being born at the tail end of Generation X, I’m kind of like the (slightly) older sibling of millennials. And as your big sister, I’m looking out for you.

Millennials, (those of you born between 1982 and 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau), face unique financial challenges. You witnessed the impact the recession of 2008 had on your parents or experienced it first-hand as you battled the job market looking for your first job.

Your generation is notorious for the amount of student loan debt you carry. Add to that the significant impact social media has on your finances, career, and life in general, and your generation faces a unique set of pressures and circumstances only you can call your own.

There is a wealth of personal finance resources aimed at millennials—and rightfully so. Currently, you represent the largest generation in the U.S. You are also the most marketed to generation as advertisers salivate over your increasing buying power.

I’ve gathered a few posts that not only provide useful information to help you with your finances but also address mindset and habits—which have just as a significant, if not more, impact on managing your money as do the practical steps you take.

After reading each post, I encourage you to poke around these websites. Each one is a valuable resource to assist you in navigating your finances.

5 Things Millennials Need To Understand About Money In 2017 — Broke Millennial

There are some truths about managing your money that will always remain the same (e.g., you need to pay yourself first; it’s not what you spend that counts, it’s what you save, etc.). But how we manage our money has changed over the years and will continue to evolve right along with culture and technology. Erin, of Broke Millennial, brings to attention a few aspects of money management that affect millennials today and provides common sense tips on how to navigate and approach them. Read

Let Your Friends Pass You Up — Millennial Money Man

If you’ve ever felt the pressure to keep up, or worse, get ahead of your friends, peers, co-workers, and others in your circle, this post will resonate with you. I consider this a must-read for everyone, regardless of what generation they happen to fall in, but because of the prevalence of social media, millennials face this pressure like no other generation before them. Comparing yourself to others and giving into social pressure to keep up with everyone can be detrimental to your finances. Bobby, of Millennial Money Man, encourages millennials to let their friends “pass them up” and highlights what you stand to gain in doing so. Read

The Millennial’s Guide to the Best Personal Finance Articles — Saving With Spunk

A master round-up of personal finance articles, this post is one you’ll want to bookmark, pin, share, stumble, and do whatever else there is to do with a post. Jen, of Saving with Spunk, hand-picked the best articles to tackle your money questions from frugal living to investing and everything along the way. This excellent resource will guide you through just about every money topic you will encounter, and you’ll find yourself coming back to it again and again. Read

I hope you enjoy reading these posts and find them helpful. If you’re not a millennial, perhaps you know one, love one, or parent one. Share this with them, won’t you?

Happy Reading!

This post is a part of the series, Monthly Reads. For the last post of every month, I round up a few articles to read, usually based on a particular topic or theme, to inspire you, encourage you, provide information, make you think, or maybe just make you laugh! To receive Monthly Reads and all other posts via email, sign up for the weekly Hope+Cents newsletter.